Syringes and/or hypodermic needles, and cartridges therefor



B. FRIEDMAN June 4, 1963 SYRINGES AND/OR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES, AND CARTRIDGES THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 9, I948 INVENTOR. BENJAMIN FRIEDMAN BY 5 ATZZZF/VE'F B. FRIEDMAN June 4,- 1963 SYRINGES AND/OR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES, AND CARTRIDGES THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 9, 1948 INVENTOR. BENJAMIN FRIEDMAN United States Patent Oil" 3,092,108 SYRINGES AND/R HYPODERMIC NEEDLES, AND CARTRIDGES THEREFOR Benjamin Friedman, 400 E. 6th St, New York, NY. Filed Apr. 9, 1954, Ser. No. 424,463 1 Claim. (Cl. 128218) This invention relates to syringes and/or hypodermic needles, and cartridges therefor.

Certain features claimed herein are disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 331,616, filed January 16, 1953 for Hypodermic Needle, and now abandoned.

More particularly, it relates to the provision of new and improved articles of the aforesaid type which embody extreme simplicity of construction and operation, convenience of assembly and disassembly, increased strength, and trouble free operational life. The invention also has reference to a closure cap adapted to seal and close hermetically a medicament in a cartridge for this syringe, and a test ampule for detecting blood from a blood vessel resulting from a needle puncture before injecting wax, oil and penicillin.

-It is an object of this invention to provide such an article in which, by elimination of cartridge holding gaskets, hinges, springs and complicated dirt collecting mechanisms, the structure is simplified and improved with concurrent improvements in convenience and ease by assembly and loading.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such an article wherein the hollow needle forming a part thereof is provided with an improved supporting means, and wherein the plunger and the cartridge stopper may be fixedly connected for joint operation in either direction whereby, by manipulation of the plunger, fluids, serums, etc. may be drawn into, and/or expelled from the cartridge therein.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings,

and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

This is a substitute application of application Ser. No. 13,77 8 filed Mar. 9, 1948 for Syringe Hypodermic Needle and Cartridge.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FlG. 1 is a perspective view of a syringe and hypodermic needle constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the needle and its supporting means forming a part of the syringe or hypodermic needle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective similar to FIG. 2 showing the parts partially exploded and on a larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to a portion of FIG. 4, but illustrating a modification of the invention and showing how needle and cartridge are loaded and locked into position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged exploded view of a portion of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is still another view similar to a portion of FIG. 4, illustrating still another modification of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged exploded view of a portion of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cartridge per se;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

Patented J un4, 1963 FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10, but showing the parts in exploded condition prior to assembly;

'FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the cup-like member and attached needle detached from the body of the hypodermic needle and attached to a test ampule in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional View of the cup-like member and needle detached from the body of the hypodermic syringe and having the bottom end of the test bulb, shown in dot and dash lines, attached thereto;

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of the test ampule per se.

- The syringe shown in FIGS. 1-4 comprises a barrel 10 which is generally tubular through provided with openings, or sights 11 for observation of the fluid in the cartridge or container, hereinafter described. At its upper end, the barrel 10 has an internally threaded thickened or enlarged collar or portion 12 which may be formed integrally therewith, or attached to the outer portion of the barrel 10 by means of threads or in any other suitable known manner.

Screwthreadedly attached to the portion 12 is a head or gland member 14 having an intermediate circular portion 15 of lesser diameter than the above described portion 12, and a portion 16 above the circular portion 15. The circular portion 15 thus forms a circular channel between the portions 12 and 16. "Confined in the channel is a finger grip 17 having a central aperture 17a larger than the circular portion 15 whereby the finger grip 17 is freely rotatable with respect to the barrel 10.

Alternatively, the circular portion 15 of the head member 14- may be replaced by a reduced circular portion of similar size formed at the upper end of the collar or por-,

The head or gland member 14 is provided with a central bore 18 slidably supporting the reciprocable plunger 19 having the palm grip 20 secured to its outer end. At its lower end, the plunger 19 has an enlarged head portion 21 which engages the sealed stopper of a container or cartridge, hereinafter described.

At its opposite, or lower end, the barrel 10 is provided with screw threads 61 (see FIG. 4) engageable with the internal threads provided in a cup-like member 27, which cup-like member comprises an annular smooth flange portion 28 leading upward from the bottom wall 29 which is provided with a central needle accommodating aperture 30 for passage of the puncturing end of a needle, when fixed into the cup-like member, to puncture the cartridge as will hereinafter be described.

The bottom wall 29 of the cup-like member 27 and the seat or recess 32 in the head or gland member 14, to gether with the barrel 10, form the cartridge confining chamber 31 of the syringe. The lower end of the head or gland member 14 is provided with the seat 32 which is arranged so as to closely and directly engage the upper end of the cartridge or container confined in the chamber 31.

By turning the cup-like member 27 over the threaded end 61 at the lower end of the barrel 10, the wall 29 will press against the needle end of the cartridge and so fix the plunger end of the glass cartridge into the seat 32 in the head or gland member 14 and prevent any free play of the cartridge in the syringe barrel 10. The smooth inner surface of the flange portion 28 of the cup-like member 27 will first slip over the lower threaded end of the barrel 10 to properly align the lower parts of the G syringe and insure a proper axial alignment of the inner end of the needle before the needle punctures the bottom end of the cartridge.

By means of this close engagement of the seat or recess 32 in the head or gland member 14 directly with the upper end of the cartridge, and, with the seating of the cup-like member 27 with its annular or smooth flange 28 over the threaded end 61 of the syringe barrel 10, the member 27 will engage and become fixed over threads 61 of barrel 10, thus causing bottom wall 29 of the member 27 to bear tightly against the protruding punctuning end of the cartridge and fix the same within chamber 31, thereby doing away with the necessity for the use of hinges, yielding or resilient springs or resilient gaskets, which cause inconvenience in the assembly of the conventional syringe now being used.

There is no chance for parts to break and the collec tion of dirt is also avoided in the syringe constructed in accordance with this invention. This novel arrangement provides an important feature of this invention.

The central bore 18 :of the head or gland member 14 engages the plunger 19 and its head portion 21 fits into a seat 32a formed in the head or gland member 14 above the seat 32. This is to clear the plunger end of the cartridge when the latter is fixed against the seat 32. It will be noted in FIG. 4 that the puncturable end of the cartridge extends slightly beyond the adjacent end of the syringe barrel 10. The purpose of this is to enable the bottom 29 of the member 27 to exert pressure against the puncturable end of the cartridge and cause the plunger end of the cartridge to bear fixedly against the seat 32 ot the head or gland member 14. This will avoid any possible play of the cartridge within the barrel of the syringe.

The member 27 is tapered at its lower or outer end, as shown in FIG. 4, and below the bottom wall 29 is formed with an internally screw-threaded chamber which continues into a semi-circular recess 33 which communicates through the aperture with the chamber 31.

Threaded into the screw-threaded chamber of the member 27 is the screw-threaded upper end portion 35 of the needle holder or needle supporting cap 34. This cap 34 is preferably exteriorly knurled (see FIG. 1) and is provided with a central bore 36 terminating upwardly in a transverse slot 37.

Substantially complementary with the slot 37 in the member 34- is a transverse rib or key 39 extending from the lower end of a needle supporting stop or member 38 through which the needle 40 extends and to which it is fixedly attached. The stop or member 38 is shown as being substantially hemispherical but may, of course, be of any suitable shape. It fits into the recess 33 of the member 27.

The upper pointed portion 41 of the needle 40, above the stop or member 38, functions to puncture the end stopper or cap of the cartridge, hereinafter described, to provide access between the hollow central channel of the needle 40 and the interior of the cartridge. The lower portion 42 provides a contact point between the channel and a blood vessel, skin, or membrane of the mouth, or the interior of a bottle, cartridge, or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9 to 11, the cartridge comprises a hollow tube 43 formed of glass or other transparent material, having at its lower end a reduced neck 44 which extends into an outwardly extending flange 45. Within the neck 44 is a tightly fitting plug 46 of rubber or the like, having a flange 46a, formed with a recess 47 having a thin wall 47a through which the needle end 41 can be forced with ease. Engaged over the flange of the tube 43 and the flange 46a of the plug 46 is a metallic cap 50 which has the free edges of its walls 51 clamped about the flanges 45 and 46a and inwardly about the neck 44 securing the tube 43 and the plug -46 together as a unit.

The cap 50 is preferably formed of aluminum and tightly compresses the rubber plug flange 46a against the flange 45 of the cartridge to prevent contamination of the solution within the tube 43. The center 52 of this metallic cap 50 is reduced in thickness and slightly depressed towards the rubber plug 46 so that it can be punctured with ease by the needle end 41 after the same is sterilized in a flame, when the cup-like member 27 is in its assembled position with the needle and needle holder.

The plunger end of the cartridge (see FIG. 4) has a rubber plug 53 adapted to be engaged by the head 21 of the plunger 19 for forcing the same downwardly into the tube 43 for thus ejecting the contents of the tube 43 through the needle 40 when the device is assembled as shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, the length of the upper portion 41 of the needle 40 is preferably such that the portion 52 of the metallic cap 50 will not be entirely punctured until the needle carrying screw plug or cap 34 is substantially screwed home into recess 33 of the member 27. Since the needle is non-rotatively supported by the needle supporting cap 34, it is thus possible to seat the key or rib 39 into the slot 37 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and screw the cap 34 partly into the recess 33 until the needle portion 41 partly penetrates the metallic cap 50.

Immediately before use, the cap 34 may be screwed home into the screw-threaded chamber of the member 27 with the needle fixed in working order. The cartridge is then inserted into barrel 10 at its lower open end with the metal cap protruding from said barrel 10. Finally, the assembled sterilized unit composed of the cup-like cap, needle and needle holder is pushed over the metal cap of the cartridge and barrel end 10 is slipped on, allowing the needle within the member 27 to puncture the cartridge and its metallic cap 50 at point 52 that is thinned out at this point. By screwing the same over the threads of the barrel 10, the cartridge is thus sealed and fixed within the syringe barrel between bottom wall 29 and seat 32.

Prior to the above operation the syringe (without the assembly of member 27 and cap 34 and needle 40), may as a unit be placed into the sterilizer that contains sterilizing tablets for complete sterilization. However, the member 27, cap 34, and needle 40 are assembled as a unit and placed into a dish of plain water and boiled until completely sterilized and ready for use. By sterilizing this unit separately in plain water, clogging of the lumen of the needle will be avoided. This clogging ordinarily takes place when the conventional type of needle and syringe are boiled in an alkaline solution of a sterlizer. Said alkaline solution is used to prevent corrosion of instruments, but if a needle and syringe be boiled in such alkaline solutions, the chemicals plug up the fine lumen of the needle and interfere withthe passage of fluids therethrough during an injection. This cannot take place when the needle and cap are boiled separately in plain water.

After sterilization of member 27, cap 34 and needle 4% in its assembled form, and the sterilization of the syringe, the cartridge may be loaded into the open lower end of barrel 16, leaving the metal end of the cartridge protruding slightly beyond said barrel. The member 27 with its fixed needle is then slipped over the barrel 10 allowing the needle to puncture the depressed thin portion 52 of the metallic cap 5b, with said needle 40 also piercing the thin part 47:: of rubber plug 46 and finally emerging in the recess 47 of the rubber plug 46. The member 27 is then screwed tightly over the external threads 61 of barrel 10 thus fixing firmly the cartridge within the barrel between the bottom 29 of cap 27 and the seat 32 within head or gland member 14 and the syringe is ready for use.

This method saves time in assembling needle and cartridge within the syringe and also avoids any tendency to contaminate a sterile needle through unnecessary handling after sterilization.

In the conventional syringe, the needle must be loaded first at one end and the cartridge must be loaded at a difierent part of a syringe, but in the instant invention the cartridge is fixed within the syringe barrel, punctured, and the needle secured in a fixed position ready for use, all in one step from one end of the barrel 10.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, a modification of the invention is disclosed in which the head 21' of the plunger 19 is formed with a threaded shank '70 adapted to be threadedly received within a threaded metallic socket 71 mounted in the top of the rubber plug 53. The metallic socket 71 is vulcanized or in any other similar manner securely mounted in the rubber plug 53'.

With the shank 70 screwed into the socket 71, it will be appreciated that a positive driving connection is established between the head 21 of the plunger and the rubber plug 53', so that the plunger 19 may be used to move the plug 53 outwardly within the hollow tube 43 creating a vacuum within the tube for purposes of drawing liquids into the tube 43 if desired.

in other respects, this form of the invention is similar to that previously described and like reference numerals identify like parts in the several views.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, a further modification of the invention is disclosed which is quite similar to that disclosed in FIGS. 5 and 6, except that the shank 70' is provided with a threaded stem 7t receivable in a threaded opening 72 in the head 21 of the plunger 19. This construction permits the shank 70' to be removed from the end of the plunger, when a cartridge having a rubber plug 53 of the type shown in FIG. 4 is used, which plug does not have a receiving opening for the shank 70.

In other respects, this form of the invention is also similar to that previously shown, and like reference numerals identify like parts in each of the several views.

FIGS. 12 to 14 of the drawings illustrate a glass test ampule 76 The glass test ampule 70 comprises a glass tube 7-1 having its bottom provided with external threads 72 A rubber stopper 73 closes the bottom of the glass tube 71*, and the stopper has a hollow 74 within the glass tube, and has its bottom formed with a depression 75. The hollow 74 and the depression 75 cooperate to form a thin rubber diaphragm adapted to be pierced by the end of the needle 40.

The other end of the glass tube 71 is closed by a compressible rubber bulb 76 engaged over an outwardly directed shoulder 77 formed on the top end of the glass tube 71 When the cup-like member 27 is removed from the barrel 11) of the syringe, the screw threaded end of the glass tube 71 is adapted to be threadedly engaged into the cup-like member 27 as shown in FIG. 13 causing the end of the needle 46 to pierce the rubber stopper 73 at the depression 75.

Penicillin now used in the medical field is mixed with wax and oil and sealed in suitable cartridges such as the cartridge 43. When a muscular injection of penicillin is to be made, care must be taken by the injector not to inject the penicillin mixture into a blood vessel. Such an injection would bring about serious complications, and even death, for if as little as one drop of the wax or oil of the penicillin mixture were allowed to enter a blood vessel it would act as an embolus in the blood vessel.

The present invention will avoid such dangers if used as follows:

The area to be injected is chosen and is first sterilized by the person who is to make the injection. The needle unit (including the cup-like member 27, the needle holder 34 and the needle 40) is removed from the barrel and is suitably sterilized. The threaded end of the glass tube 71- of the test ampule 70 is then screwed into the cuplike member 27 joining the two members and causing the inner end of the needle 49 to pierce the rubber stopper '73. The person who is to make the injection then compresses the rubber bulb 76 of the test ampule 70 and inserts the end of the needle 40 into the chosen area. The bulb 76 is then released creating a partial vacuum with the glass tube 71*, and if the needle 4t has been inserted into a blood vessel, blood will be drawn into the glass tube 71*. The needle 40 is then Withdrawn and reinserted in another portion of the chosen area, until release of the rubber bulb does not withdraw blood. If the second injection of the needle 40 does not draw blood, a suitable injection has been made and the glass tube 71" is unscrewed from the cup-like member 27 allowing the needle to remain where inserted.

The glass tube '71 is then replaced by the barrel 10 of the syringe containing the cartridge 43 of the penicillin mixture, the barrel being screwed in position causing the needle 49 now to puncture the metallic cap 59 and the rubber plug 46 of the cartridge 43. Simultaneously, the screwing of the barrel 10 in position in the cup-like member 27 will clamp the cartridge 43 in position between the bottom wall 29 of the member 27 and the seat 32 of the head or gland member 14. The injector is now ready to safely complete the injection into the tested area.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In a syringe for use with a cartridge having a puncturable plug in one end and a slidable plug in the other end, an elongated tubular barrel, a cap detachably secured to each end of said barrel forming therewith a chamber enclosing the cartridge, said cap at the end of the cartridge closed by the puncturable plug having an aperture providing access to the puncturable cap, a plunger slidably extended through the other cap to contact the slidable plug, said cap at the puncturable plug end of the cartridge having a hemispherical recess at the outer end of its aperture, a member threadedly engaged into the outer end of said recessed cap and having an aperture aligned with said aperture, a needle extended through said apertures, a hemispherical stop member secured on said needle and located within said recess holding said needle in an axially fixed position in which its inner end will be extended to puncture said puncturable plug as said member is threaded into said recess, a keyway slot formed in the end of said member facing said stop member, and a key formed on said stop member and extended into said slot holding said needle from rotating relative to said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,604,224 Friedman Oct. 26, 1926 1,624,327 Friedman Apr. 12, 1927 1,704,924 Rehm Mar. 12, 1929 1,746,009 Mulford Feb. 4, 1930 1,909,591 Nevin May 16, 1933 2020,828 Goldberg Nov. 12, 1935 2,157,503 Smith May 9, 1939 2,193,489 Nevin Mar. 12, 1940 2,554,352 Ward et a1. May 22, 1951 2,646,798 Brown July 28, 1953 2,671,450 Dann Mar. 9, 1954 2,672,142 Melton Mar. 16, 1954 2,894,509 Bednarz July 14, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 611,290 Great Britain Oct. 27, 1948 

